Televangelist Bill Keller calls Mormonism and Islam "False Religions"

TV preacher riffs on Mitt Romney's underwear

by JewsOnFirst.org, June 23, 2007

A Florida televangelist whose attack on presidential candidate Mitt Romney's Mormon faith as satanic sparked a watchdog complaint last month has again used his tax-exempt ministry to electioneer against Romney. The new attack came in a television program entitled "Mr. Romney, show me your underwear!"

On May 11, Televangelist Bill Keller warned readers of his Daily Devotionals that a vote for Mormon Mitt Romney is "a vote for Satan." Keller called Mormonism a cult and its founder Joseph Smith a "murdering polygamist pedophile." He said "Romney getting elected president will ultimately lead millions of souls to the eternal flames of hell!!!"

Showing himself to be an equal-opportunity bigot, Keller wrote: "Having Romney as President is no different than having a Muslim or Scientologist as President."

In reaction to that devotional, Americans United for Separation of Church and State asked the Internal Revenue Service to investigate Keller's use of his tax-exempt ministry organization for political purposes.

Keller laughed off the prospect of an IRS probe, and on June 21st repeated his attack on Romney's candidacy and the Mormon religion, this time on his daily Liveprayer television program.

During the program, Keller called Mormonism and Islam "false religions."

He conducted the program wearing white underwear over a black bodysuit. He said his garb was "magical Mormon underwear" worn by "Temple Mormons" who believe it protects them from harm.

Keller repeatedly called Mormonism a cult whose adherents were hellbound. When Mormons phoned in to protest his statements, he hung up on them.

"Mr. Romney, show me your underwear!"

Keller's earlier attack on Mormonism: If You Vote for Mitt Romney You are Voting for Satan

Bill Keller, Daily Devotional, (Galatians 1:6-12), May 11, 2007

WORD HAS ALREADY CIRCULATED THAT TODAY I WAS GOING TO BE TAKING A HARD STAND AGAINST MITT ROMNEY'S PRESIDENTIAL BID AND THOSE EVANGELICAL LEADERS WHO SUPPORT HIM. I HAVE RECEIVED NUMEROUS EMAILS "ADVISING" ME TO LAY OFF AND "DON'T ROCK THE BOAT." I HAVE ALSO HEARD FROM SEVERAL DONORS OF LIVEPRAYER THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE FAVORABLE TO SUPPORTING THIS MINISTRY ANY LONGER IF I DELIVERED THIS MESSAGE. IT IS GOD I SERVE, NOT MEN. WHEN I TAKE MY LAST BREATH, IT IS GOD WHO I WILL BE STANDING BEFORE, NOT MEN.

I HAVE BEEN VERY CAREFUL OVER THE YEARS TO NOT ALLOW MYSELF TO BE ALIGNED WITH OR BEHOLDING TO ANY MAN OR GROUP WHO COULD INFLUENCE OR DICTATE THE WORK GOD HAS CALLED ME TO DO. BY NOT BECOMING PART OF THE "CHRISTIAN ESTABLISHMENT" I HAVE SACRIFICED CONNECTIONS THAT COULD GENERATE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS A YEAR AND PROVIDE ME WITH A CERTAIN STATUS WITHIN THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY. THAT IS FINE SINCE IT IS GOD WHO PROVIDES FOR THE NEEDS OF THIS MINISTRY AND ALWAYS WILL AND THE ONLY STATUS I SEEK IS THAT OF SERVANT.

I AM WELL AWARE THAT THIS MESSAGE TODAY WILL BE WIDELY CIRCULATED AND QUOTED AND THERE WILL BE A PRICE TO PAY FOR SPEAKING OUT. THAT IS OK. SOMEONE HAS TO STAND UP WHO REFUSES TO SELL OUT THE GOSPEL FOR A FEW SHEKelS AND SOME POLITICAL POWER AND TAKE A STAND FOR THE TRUTH OF GOD'S WORD. WE ARE IN A BATTLE FOR SOULS AND I AM SAD TO SAY THAT THERE ARE MANY CHRISTIAN LEADERS WHO PUT MONEY AND POLITICAL POWER ABOVE GOD'S TRUTH AND THE SOULS OF MEN!

If you vote for Mitt Romney, you are voting for satan! This message today is not about Mitt Romney. Romney is an unashamed and proud member of the Mormon cult founded by a murdering polygamist pedophile named Joseph Smith nearly 200 years ago. The teachings of the Mormon cult are doctrinally and theologically in complete opposition to the Absolute Truth of God's Word. There is no common ground. If Mormonism is true, then the Christian faith is a complete lie. There has never been any question from the moment Smith's cult began that it was a work of satan and those who follow their false teachings will die and spend eternity in hell. This message is about the top Christian leaders in our nation who are supporting this cult members quest to become the next President of the United States.

I have watched in horror over the past weeks as one evangelical Christian leader after another has either endorsed, supported, or just as bad, refused to denounce Romney's run for the White House and those Christian leaders who support him. Last weekend Pat Robertson, founder of CBN and Regents University, had Romney deliver the keynote address to the graduates of Regents. Regents is one of the great Christian colleges in this nation and Robertson allowed this cult member to deliver the commencement address. Is he out of his mind? Do you think there would ever be a true Gospel preacher giving the commencement address at Brigham Young? Continue.

IRS Should Investigate Florida Religious Group For Political Intervention, Says Americans United

News release, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, May 31, 2007

Americans United for Separation of Church and State has asked the Internal Revenue Service to investigate a St. Petersburg, Fla., ministry that warned people not to vote for presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

In a letter to the IRS sent today, Americans United asserts that Bill Keller Ministries seems to have violated federal tax law when its online division, Liveprayer.com, ran articles warning readers that a vote for Romney is a vote for Satan. Continue.

Separation of Church and State and Tax Exemptions

Alan Cooperman, Washington Post, Friday, June 1, 2007

Florida evangelist Bill Keller says he was making a spiritual -- not political -- statement when he warned the 2.4 million subscribers to his Internet prayer ministry that "if you vote for Mitt Romney, you are voting for Satan!"

But the Washington-based advocacy group Americans United for Separation of Church and State says the Internal Revenue Service should revoke the 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status of Bill Keller Ministries, nonetheless.

Keller, 49, who has a call-in show on a Tampa television station and a Web site called Liveprayer.com, on May 11 sent out a "daily devotional" that called Romney "an unabashed and proud member of the Mormon cult founded by a murdering polygamist pedophile named Joseph Smith nearly 200 years ago." If the former Massachusetts governor wins the GOP nomination and the presidency, Keller's message added, it will "ultimately lead millions of souls to the eternal flames of hell."

In a letter to the IRS yesterday, Americans United called Keller's message a violation of the ban on partisan politicking by tax-exempt religious groups.

Keller, in a telephone interview, laughed off the controversy. "Let them come after me for making a spiritual statement about Mitt Romney. I would love that," he said. "Bring it on." Source

Florida evangelist criticized for anti-Romney rants

By Mitch Stacy, Associated Press, Boston Globe, June 7, 2007

TAMPA, Fla. --A Florida evangelist shrugged off claims Thursday that he is illegally mixing religion and politics by telling followers that a vote for Mormon presidential candidate Mitt Romney "is a vote for Satan."

A watchdog group, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, hand-delivered a letter to the Internal Revenue Service last week asking for an investigation of St. Petersburg-based evangelist Bill Keller, who has used his online columns and late night TV show to assert that Romney is not a Christian because he belongs to the Mormon church. Continue.

Barry Lynn Goes After Bill Keller

By Jason T. Christy, The Church Report, June 4, 2007

Always trying to stay in the headlines, Rev. Barry Lynn has decided to go after Evangelical pastor and talk show host, Bill Keller. At issue here is Keller's disapproval of Mitt Romney, as a Mormon, running for president. Keller made a statement to his 2.4 million member prayer ministry members, that "if you vote for Mitt Romney, you are voting for Satan!" WOW! that is strong, granted, but we can always count on Barry Lynn to run and tattle. Continue.